Tamron 70-200/2.8 Side by Side Comparrisons?

[DonSchap]

So Don and anyone else, here is the issue, for the lens buying plan what advice or suggestions do you have other then "all of them of course" LOL! Do I go for the 200-500 to "max out" my zoom end? Price seems to be be going DOWN on that lens?? or do I fill in the higher prime end with the 90 or the 180? as I posted before I wonder how the 180 will fit in for me, or will it wind up being left out becuase it's not enough, or to much with the other lenses. Or should I start to think about the lower wider end LOL I would like to have a 24-105 also. man I need to train my dog to be a pack animal!

Sean, you really don’t appreciate how much of the spectrum you have covered, with what you have.

No doubt, a good MACRO is hard to argue against. Either the 90mm f/2.8 or the 180 f/3.5 are qualified candidates. While the 90mm is convenient and can be shoved into your pocket, the 180 has dual LD elements, which really correct CA in those close-up shots. The 180 also does NOT change configuration, so your close-up subject shouldn’t be too frightened as you obtain your focus.

As far as the wider aspect of shooting goes … there is nothing quite like the 10-20mm f/4-5.6 when you are in a tight spot. I brought mine along with me, all the way to Colorado, in April … and darn if an opportunity to make good use of its 10mm focal length did not crop right up. None of my other lenses could have taken that shot … without use of the panorama feature (I call it: “the too-narrow of a lens band-aid.” LOL). That lens is great to have in your bag … because most people usually do not plan on those shots. They just happen to you. “Be Prepared.”

Long reach: What can I say? The 200-500 provided some rather amazing shots, this year, at Oshkosh’s AirVenture. Lightweight and stabilized with the α700 … it got it done. Focus was crisp, accurate and fast. Again, for “birding”, it is hard to match. The 80-400 is a good nature lens … quick for both semi-tele and long-tele with one lens, but looking long … with that extra 100mm reach … you are “in there!”

Primes: They tend speak for themselves. In the studio … the results are super due to their wider apertures. The Carl Zeiss 135mm f/1.8 … M.F.D. < 2-feet (21-inches, actually) … with a very shallow DOF

α100 w/ CZ 135 f/1.8 @ f/1.8 & M.F.D.

Tape Measure ... from the first element of the lens.


So, Sean ... you need to determine the kind of photography you are pursuing. I've covered a lot of it ... not all, of course ... yet. There is still ... astrophotography!

"Say hey, Sean!"

[seanhoxx]

As always thanks for the input Don, I do appreciate what I have been able to cover in a pretty short period of time, and that may be the problem, I haven't had to "work" out of many jams because of limited glass, so I have become a lens junky! I will think more on a UWA, if I plan a trip back out West, or back to Ireland I would want to have one in a well rounded bag, but with the econ-enemy that won't be soon! 180 / 200-500 well we will see LOL. and I still need that damn flash unit! Don I know your a hour behind me but its late here, I'm off to bed, if the sun is shinning I may take the Tokina to J.V. football at 10 in the morning for some fun!

[DonSchap]

Well ... I'm still a supporter of the '58 idea ...



even though it is rather pricey. If you do not have a flash ... this would be the first one I would buy.

Already having two elex flash units (the '56 & the '36)


... I am delaying any futher purchases along these lines for some time.

I also have a pretty complete flash suite of strobes, reflectors and curtains ...



so ... (shrug) who needs to spend any more? Just need to settle down and make use of what I have, once that α700 gets home

Good luck with the football stuff.

[dr4gon]

Well ... I'm still a supporter of the '58 idea ...



even though it is rather pricey. If you do not have a flash ... this would be the first one I would buy.

Already having two elex flash units (the '56 & the '36)


... I am delaying any futher purchases along these lines for some time.

I also have a pretty complete flash suite of strobes, reflectors and curtains ...



so ... (shrug) who needs to spend any more? Just need to settle down and make use of what I have, once that α700 gets home

Good luck with the football stuff.

psst, between me and you two, and the rest of the interenets, I got 2 F58s coming in. I was lucky and got it at a good price from Hong Kong (ebay). They should be hear in a few days, I hope. I will surely post when I get them. I was going to sell the second one, but would gladly sell it to someone here for $460 shipped.

[DonSchap]

OMG ... what a barg---, ... uh, what am I saying? Hey, that's great, dr4gon. Hey, Sean .... did you hear what I just heard? (mumbling to self "No more spending ... stop it, Don ... the market bit ya.")

[dr4gon]

I think (hope) it's bottoming out. It was quite a correction.....

Nasdaq was up yesterday

I'm looking for some rechargeable AA batteries for the flash, do you like any in particular? Lithium ion or NiCd?

[DonSchap]

I use Ni-MH batteries for my flashes. They charge quickly and seem to last long enough.

There is also a belt or pocket-carried battery pack (FA-EB1AM) to augment the HVL-F56AM flash.
It requires 6 additional "AA" batteries.



What are you planning on shooting, weddings?

[dr4gon]

No not weddings haha.. I don't know anyone who will be getting married anytime soon

I plan on just portraits or just for general use (perhaps some sports). Nothing too fancy.

I was thinking of 2000 mAh Sanyo Eneloop Batteries (read good things about them) and a Lacrosse BC-900 Charger. The good things I've read about the NiMh are the slow minimal discharge time as compared with NiCd or other batteries.

I have some old Maha batteries when I first got my first digital camera (1.3MP olympus) and it drained batteries like no other. They are 1400 mAh and from what I remember didn't last too long....

Is there a particular brand of NiMH batteries you like? Eneloops seem to be all the rage in flashes!

[DonSchap]

I ordered mine from Calumet Photographic, as their store brand (what's new?)



2500mAh 1.2V

of course, you will need a recharger, too.


(Click on image for link)

[DonSchap]

"Flash Photography" is a whole different world.

It seems straightforward enough, when you begin to think about it ... but, after a few cycles of imaging, it begins to dawn on you: "To get this to look right ... I'm gonna need some more light ... from here ... and over here ... and ..."

So, what is it that makes you freak out when you see a flash shot. Yeah, the doggone shadow or the fact that the light is unifromly suffering.

Now, happily, against a solid backdrop, you can usually smear, blend or clone out the shadows.

Unhappily, the problem usually is when you do not have a uniform backdrop, such as a church altar or some other festive location. Suddenly, you realize you are in trouble and that hard shadow is killing your "candid" image. You often need a white ceiling bounce for a general splash, reflection and wash out of shadow.

Well, hero ... what if you don't happen to have a ceiling? Man ... how often does that situation pop up?

So, like many of the DCRP members have found out that are involved in these situations, to get a good and well lit shot, they wind up using multiple flashes, all synchronized to go off when triggered from the shutter release. It starts to become an orchestration ... and that's where the infamous light meter comes in.

Also ... a trip to the strobist blogspot. If you have read this far ... you have just touched the surface. Get your reading glasses and c'mon ...

The Strobist (<- Click here to begin your education ...)